The instant invention relates to vision-obstructing slats which are used in chain-link fences, and specifically to vision-obstructing elements which lock together to retain the elements in the fence web.
The chain-link fence is a popular form of area enclosure because of its relatively inexpensive cost and the speed with which it may be erected. However, the chain-link fence does very little to afford privacy to the enclosed area because of the open mesh construction of the fence web. One means of providing privacy is to install slats into the links of the fence to obstruct vision through the fence. Various forms of slats are known, the oldest form being of wooden construction and, in recent years, slats made out of plastomer materials have been used. Plastomer slats are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,085,954; 4,512,556 and 4,570,906.
The slats, however, are subject to deterioration, in the case of wooden slats, may become damaged and work their way out of position or, may be removed by vandals, thereby leaving a gap in the fence.
A number of forms of retaining mechanisms have been proposed to prevent removal of slats and such mechanisms are described in the first two-mentioned patents above, as well as in pending application No. 07/170,406. The known retaining mechanisms involve multiple piece installation and, while adequate to retain slats in the fence, are somewhat more complicated than the retainer described in the instant disclosure.
An object of the instant invention is to provide a one-piece slat-retaining element.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a vision obscuring slat which will lock into the slat retaining element of the invention.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide slat elements which will retain vertically disposed privacy slats in place in a chain-link fence.
Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a slat retaining element which is easily installed in the fence, inexpensive to manufacture, and which does not distract from the aesthetic appearance of the fence.
The slat fence retainer of the invention is intended for use with a chain-link fence and includes an elongate, horizontal slat element which is predimensioned to be interwoven between horizontally consecutive links in the fence and which has a pair of spaced apart side walls, a base joining the bottom margins of the side walls and an open top. The horizontal slat element further includes vertical-slat retention means thereon. Plural vertical slat elements are provided which are predimensioned to be interwoven between vertically consecutive links in the fence. In one form of the invention, each vertical slat element has opposed, spaced apart, substantially planar faces integrally formed with opposed, spaced apart curved edges which extend between the faces. An end of each vertical slat element includes a pair of substantially planar and resilient spaced apart flanges which have slots formed therein adjacent the end of the elements which engage the slat retention means of the horizontal slat elements, thereby holding the vertical slat elements in the fence. In another form of the invention, vertical slats are formed of a single thickness of polymeric material.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description which follows is read in conjunction with the drawings.